Lost and Love Found
by Roeskva
Summary: While SG-1 and Martouf/Lantash were visiting P2X-586, a powerful storm hit. O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c make it safely back to the Stargate, but Sam and Martouf/Lantash are washed away by an overflowing river. Sam awakens, wet and cold, and finds Martouf/Lantash unconscious and badly hurt. Can she save them and herself? Sam/Martouf/Lantash.
1. The Storm Hits

Title: Lost and Love Found  
Pairing: Samantha Carter/Martouf/Lantash  
Category: romance, hurt/comfort  
Summary: While SG-1 and Martouf/Lantash visited P2X-586 to negotiate a treaty, a powerful storm hit. O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c made it safely back to the Stargate, but Sam and Martouf/Lantash were crossing a dangerous river when the cresting water washed the bridge away, and them with it. Sam awakens, wet and cold, and finds Martouf/Lantash unconscious and badly hurt. She carries him to safety, but their bad luck does not end there; the entrance to the cave they are seeking shelter in collapses, trapping them, with little food and water.  
Notes: This was written for Kink Big Bang, with the kinks (tropes): 1) Intoxication and altered states (aphrodisiacs; speaking or showing the truth while intoxicated) 2) Sleep and bedding themes (sharing a blanket for warmth) 3) Trapped or stranded together (on another world; in a cave-in) 4) Wet dreams or erotic dreams  
Notes 2: This version has been cut/rewritten to achieve a PG-13 rating. The full version can be read on Symbiotica (link in my profile). Go there, click 'Titles', then 'L', and scroll down to this fic.

* * *

"I don't need to emphasize the importance of getting the local's permission to mine naquadah on P2X-586. We really _need _this treaty," Hammond said.

"No, sir, you don't. We'll do our best," O'Neill answered.

"All right, you have a go, people!"

SG-1 and Martouf/Lantash walked up the ramp, and one after another, they left through the wormhole.

"So, which way to the nearest village?" O'Neill asked as soon as they were all out on the other side. He threw a quick look at the slightly strange, _green_ sky.

"We must follow the path in _that_ direction." Martouf pointed. "I do not know how you measure distances, but if we walk at a fast pace, we should arrive in about 3... maybe 4 hours."

O'Neill groaned. "I thought you said it would be a '_short_' walk from the Stargate!"

"I only said it was within walking distance - and will you not agree even four hours walk is _fairly_ near?" Martouf said. "Of course, I agree that many planets will have populated areas much closer to the chaapa'ai, but this planet has been abandoned by the Goa'uld for many centuries, and the locals do not wish to live near the place where their evil lord's Jaffa would arrive."

"They consider the Stargate itself a symbol of evil - or perhaps, bad luck?" Daniel asked.

"It is quite common on former Goa'uld worlds, though it is of course not always just symbolic. Living further from the chaapa'ai is generally a safer and more sensible choice, unless you travel through it on a regular basis, or trade with someone who does," Martouf explained.

"Okay, I'll buy that, but why did the Goa'uld leave this planet, if there's still lots of naquadah here?" O'Neill wondered.

"Well, the remaining naquadah is difficult to get to, unless you use some sort of modern machinery - and if I understood it correctly, the Goa'uld doesn't want to do that. Something about not wanting to let their slaves learn about modern technology," Sam said. "Isn't that correct?" She looked at Martouf.

He nodded. "Yes, that is so. When the Goa'uld have mined the naquadah which can be easily accessed with traditional manual labour, they will usually abandon the world, even if there are still large deposits of naquadah left. Allowing the slaves to use and learn about any kind of advanced technology is dangerous to the Goa'uld supremacy - a large part of their power is based on keeping humans and most Jaffa ignorant and convinced that Goa'uld technology work by magic."

"Knowledge of Goa'uld magic is forbidden," Teal'c observed.

"Exactly," Martouf said.

"Because... if the slaves learn to use advanced technology, they will see it is not magic - and they may then suspect the Goa'uld are not gods," Daniel realized.

* * *

"Finally! _There__'__s_ the village," O'Neill exclaimed happily, as the trail left the forest. "Now we'll just have to hope they're in a good mood and agrees to the trade quickly. Maybe we can even get back home _tonight_!"

They had walked for just under four hours, the road taking them first over a flat terrain, then across a bridge over a wide, but slow-moving river. After that they had gone through the rocky foothills of the mountains, for about two hours, before the path sloped down towards lusher terrain. The last hour they had walked through a dense, humid forest, almost like a rain-forest.

"We may have to remain in the village for longer than anticipated," Martouf observed, pointing towards the dark clouds that were gathering over the mountains.

"Crap." O'Neill looked in the direction Martouf indicated. It did indeed look like a bad storm was approaching. "Well, maybe it will pass quickly."

"That is possible, but unlikely, O'Neill. I have seen storms in areas such as these before, and when the clouds look like those, the storms may sometimes last for several days," Teal'c told him.

"Spoilsport," O'Neill said.

* * *

They entered the village, and saw people running back and forth, shuttering windows and moving things inside.

"This doesn't look good," Daniel observed.

"Hey!" O'Neill called out to the nearest villager, a young man who was carrying a barrel. "Where do we find someone in charge of this place - like a village leader, or something?"

"The Village Council are currently in the Communal Gathering Place - the large building you see there." He pointed. "However, they are busy with coordinating the escape, and may not have time to receive you, strangers."

"Escape? What _escape_?" O'Neill wanted to know.

"The tuh'alva is coming." The villager frowned. "Do you not know? Where are you from?"

"We're from - far away. What's a tuh'alva?" O'Neill asked.

"You must be from far away indeed, if you do not know of the tuh'alva. It is a terrible storm - winds that can tear up the largest of trees, floods which washes away the largest rocks - staying here is insanity. There were many deaths before we found the caves in the mountains, where we now stay during each tuh'alva. It comes every 25 years, and now it is again the time for it," he explained.

"Okay, we'll be quick," O'Neill promised, turning to the others. "Let's go talk to this Council of theirs, and then head back."

* * *

They had been told to wait, since the Council was currently handling important matters, so it was almost two hours later when SG-1 was finally allowed in to meet the Council members.

The meeting had been brief, but productive. The people of P2X-586 - called Jokalla by the locals - were not interested in the naquadah in the least. The Tau'ri and the Tok'ra were more than welcome to mine it, as long as the locals did not have to have anything to do with it. They had been slaves, forced to mine the naquadah, before the Goa'uld left. That was several centuries ago now, but it was not forgotten.

In return for being allowed to mine the naquadah, Earth and the Tok'ra promised medical and other assistance, and the locals were more than willing to agree to the trade.

The meeting had taken less than one hour, and it was obvious the Council was in a hurry to get SG-1 and Martouf/Lantash to leave, so they could escape to the mountains with the rest of the villagers.

"Okay, I'll admit this was a bit short, but I guess we can come back for anything else we need to discuss when they have more time to talk to us. We should probably head back, anyway," O'Neill said, when the Council members had left with the last group of villagers, heading for higher grounds, and some caves they used to stay in during these times.

He looked with some concern towards the mountains. The clouds there had become much darker, and the wind was already starting to pick up. O'Neill frowned, unpleasantly surprised with how quickly the storm was approaching.

"I agree, and I believe we should move swiftly indeed," Teal'c observed.

Martouf looked worried. "It is four hours to the chaapa'ai, I do not believe we shall make it before the storm reaches us. Perhaps it would be wiser to go with the locals. They know of safe places to hide during this time."

"I don't want to be trapped in a cold and wet cave for only _God_ knows how many days!" O'Neill said, with conviction. "I've seen some storms in my time too, and I don't think we'll catch more than the very beginnings of it if we go now. We'll just have to move quickly, right?"

"Perhaps," Martouf agreed, reluctantly, eyeing the approaching storm warily.

* * *

They hurried on back towards the Stargate, first going through the almost jungle-like woods near the village. When they existed the calm of the forest, just under an hour later, they noticed the storm was moving faster than any of them had anticipated. The wind was already fairly strong, and the temperature had dropped several degrees.

The path quickly winded upwards through the rocky terrain of the lower part of the mountains. After they had been going up for more than an hour, the ground started sloping down sharply towards the river. By now it had started to rain, and from the darkness of the sky in the direction of the mountains, it was raining heavily up there.

"Um, do you guys hear that?" Sam asked. "It sounds like... distant rumbling? Thunder, perhaps?"

"No, it is the river. I noticed it some time ago," Martouf said.

"Agreed. I hear it as well," Teal'c added.

"The _river_? Are you sure? From _here_? It's still some distance away, and the water was shallow and didn't move very fast when we crossed it earlier today," Daniel said.

"That may well have changed, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c told him.

"Of course, the storm has already dumped a lot of water upstream," Daniel realized.

Worried, they hurried on, hoping the water in the river had not risen enough to engulf the bridge.

* * *

They had walked at a very high speed, and approached the river just fifteen minutes later. By then, the wind was a strong gale, with gusts near storm force. The river - now less than 250 feet away - had swelled to reach just under the bridge, and now and then the water would crest, and crash over it.

"It's almost as if the river's swelling while we _look_ at it!" Daniel said, shocked.

"I believe it is doing just that," Teal'c observed.

"Well, if we want to make it past that bridge today, we should probably hurry!" O'Neill said. "Come on, guys!"

They started running, as fast as they could, and soon stood at the bridge. Even normally, the river was fairly wide here - almost 500 feet across.

Teal'c stepped out on the bridge. "You must be careful, the water is making it slippery." He began walking across.

Daniel followed, with O'Neill after him, then Martouf/Lantash, and last Sam.

They had only taken a few steps, when the water rose further, and they had to continue through a few inches of water, which quickly became more. When they were halfway across, the bridge made a creaking noise, followed by a loud snap, as it began to break up.

"_Run_!" O'Neill yelled.

Sam cried out, as she slipped on the wet, treasonous surface. A flood of water gave her the last push, and she fell.

"Samantha!" Martouf exclaimed, stopping. He turned to look, and seeing she had fallen, he ran towards her.

The roar from the water was so loud that O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c could not hear the others from where they were running, and they hurried on towards safety.

Sam coughed, and tried to regain her footing. "I'm fine! Get to safety!" she yelled, seeing Martouf coming towards her.

He had almost reached her when the bridge collapsed under the pressure from the water.

* * *

O'Neill had barely had time to turn around after setting foot on dry land, when he saw the bridge being washed away.

"_Carter_! Martouf!" He yelled, suddenly spotting two figures being swept away by the water, perhaps 100 feet away from where he stood. Moments later they were gone from his view, having been carried further downstream.

"Oh, my God!" Daniel exclaimed, as he, too, realized what had happened. "We've got to _save_ them!"

A loud crash of thunder almost deafened them, and was almost immediately followed by lightning, which tore across the sky just above their heads. A torrential rain followed, drenching them almost immediately.

"Daniel Jackson... I wish this as much as you do, but I do not know how to currently accomplish this feat," Teal'c said, sombrely.

For a few moments, O'Neill looked despondently in the direction Sam and Martouf/Lantash had disappeared, then turned to the others. "There's nothing we can do right now."

"_Jack_!" Daniel looked at him in disbelief. "We can't just _leave_ them!"

Another bolt of thunder crashed over their heads, followed by lightning, this time seeming to be even closer than before. The rain seemed to fall even harder, and the wind got chillier. They all shivered.

O'Neill glared angrily at the sky, willing the weather to calm down. "We're not leaving them! We'll return to search for them as soon as this damn weather quiets down a bit!"

Worried for their friends, but unable to do anything at the moment, Daniel, O'Neill, and Teal'c hurried on towards the Stargate. They reached it less than an hour later, very cold and wet.


	2. Finding Shelter

Sam woke up, finding herself face-down in a muddy patch of grass. She groaned softly, and carefully moved her limbs, checking if anything was broken. Nothing was. She was sore and bruised - as well as drenched and very cold. Shivering, she got up, almost falling again when her backpack caught on a branch from a nearby tree. The backpack which she still wore, and which miraculously had not pulled her down when she was in the water. She shook her head at this incongruity, then looked around for any of the others.

She remembered being washed along by the river when the bridge collapsed. She had been pulled along for quite some time, fighting to keep her head above water. She must have been thrown ashore - and quite far downstream, as far as she could tell. The mountains which had been near the bridge, were now invisible in the distance - probably to a large degree due to the heavy rain obscuring everything in the distance.

Looking in the other direction, she spotted another mountain range looming darkly, raising sharply no more than perhaps a mile away. She vaguely remembered seeing them in the distance when they had arrived, and estimated she had been washed at least eight or nine miles downstream.

She shuddered when she saw all the rocks nearby, realizing how easily she could have hit those when she was thrown ashore, and been badly injured.

Then she remembered that Martouf had been beside her when the bridge was washed away, and she felt a cold fear.

"Martouf?" she called, then repeated it, louder, "_Martouf_! _Lantash_!"

A loud crash of thunder was the only answer she got, and she desperately looked around for the Tok'ra. The wind and the rain whipped at her face, making it hard to see. It was also getting darker. Not just because of the weather, but also because it was now early evening, and the sun was setting. It was also getting colder, and as if to spite her, the rain suddenly turned to hail for a short time.

* * *

She had searched for several minutes, when suddenly she saw a shape lying beside some of the rocks, and she ran to it, her heart beating hard with fear.

Sam recognized him immediately, even if he was lying with his face turned away from her, and was wearing the same uniform as the rest of them. She threw herself down on her knees beside him, at the last moment stopping herself from shaking him, when she saw the dark patch of blood on the back of his head. If he had a concussion - or worse - it would probably be better not to move him too much or suddenly.

"Martouf!"

He was breathing shallowly, now and then gasping and coughing weakly, but he was obviously alive, and Sam felt a flood of relief. Moments later she realized he had probably swallowed water, and that she needed to help him if he was to survive.

He coughed again, and then his breathing seemed to stop. Sam panicked, and started giving him CPR, not even for a moment thinking about what had happened the last time she had done that to someone with a symbiote - and had become host to Jolinar.

He almost immediately took a deep breath, then coughed violently. She turned him over on his side, and he started coughing up copious amounts of water. That continued for what seemed like a very long time to Sam, and she noticed there was some blood mixed in as well, warning her that he had some internal injuries - a broken rib, perhaps. Finally, he lay down on his back, and sighed deeply, his breathing appearing more normal now.

She touched him carefully, trying to determine how badly wounded he was. He had clearly not been as lucky as her. While he, too, had been thrown ashore, he seemed to have hit some of the cliffs, and was bleeding from several wounds. She decided that the head wound probably meant he had a concussion. He had a long gash in his lower right leg, as well as multiple scrapes and bruises here and there - and probably at least one broken rib. She felt gently along his arms and upper body, but could not tell what, if anything, he had broken. She decided that he could probably be moved - _had_ to be moved, if he was to survive. They were both wet to the skin, and he was shivering worse than she was.

"Sa... Samantha?" Lantash whispered in a low, unsteady voice.

"Lantash!" Sam exclaimed, more relieved than she could ever remember feeling. "You're awake!"

"Yes... but I fear... not for long." He was quiet for a moment, gathering strength. "We have a concussion. It's bad... but... I can heal it. But... so... _so_ cold..." His teeth rattled against each other.

"Yeah, me too," Sam said. "We need to find shelter somewhere. Can you walk? Do you have other injuries?"

"Broken arm... two ribs... broken. Leg... wound..." Lantash managed to say, then became unconscious again.

Sam sighed, realizing she would have to carry him. She looked around, seeing nothing that would give any shelter. She pulled off her backpack, and found a thermal blanket, which she wrapped around Martouf/Lantash.

After putting the backpack back on, she made the decision to head for the nearby mountains, hoping there would at least be clefts or rock-outcroppings that would provide some shelter. She managed to lift up Martouf/Lantash, placing him in a fireman's carry, partially supported by her backpack. She reflected that it was a good thing he was slender, and not fat.

The wind was still strong, but the rain was starting to let up a little bit, as Sam set off towards the nearby mountains, carrying an unconscious Martouf and Lantash.

* * *

The sun had set completely, and it was getting dark quickly now. The rain was still falling steadily, even if not as hard as it had done before. Sam was starting to get very exhausted, and tiredly walked up the path into the foothills of the mountains. She had found no shelter - bushes and trees had either been ripped up, or the leaves pulled from them by the wind. She also knew they had to find somewhere with hard ground, as all the water would be over-saturating the soil, and increase the risk of landslides.

Sam was close to giving up, when through the dusk she spotted what looked like a small cleft in the rock face rising before her. She hurried towards it, hoping it would provide some shelter for the wind, at least.

Reaching it, she saw it was an opening to a cave, and she felt relief flood her. The opening itself was not large, but easily big enough for them to fit through.

Inside, it was completely dark, but the cave opened up enough that she could stand, and it was wide enough that she could not feel the walls on her sides when she had taken a few steps inside.

She fumbled with her flashlight, and turned it on, then ran the light over the walls. The cave was deep, and while narrow right here, widened out ahead of her. It would provide good shelter for both the wind and the rain.

She stopped for a moment, listening to hear if any wild animals might have hidden there to get away from the storm, but she heard nothing, except for the wind outside.

The cave seemed to be empty, save for some grass and sticks that had blown in from the outside. A little further in it twisted, so she could not see that part from where she stood. Hoping it would be warmer in there, she gently put down Martouf/Lantash on the ground, took out her knife, and continued slowly, very much on guard.

Nothing lurked behind the bend in the cave, but in here it was a little warmer, and the ground was dry. Sam hurried back to pick up Martouf and Lantash, who were still unconscious. That worried her, but she hoped Lantash was healing Martouf, even unconsciously, and would keep himself and his host alive.

She put them down and opened the - thankfully waterproof - compartment in her backpack. She took out her spare thermal blanket and spread it on the soft sand, then found her warm blanket. She quickly - but carefully, to avoid aggravating his wounds - got Martouf/Lantash's wet clothing off, then moved him to lie on the thermal blanket she had placed on the floor, where she wrapped him in the warm blanket, with the other thermal blanket on top.

That done, she suddenly realized she was shivering from the cold, and her legs were buckling from the exhaustion. She sighed, just wanting to crawl under the blanket and snuggle up beside Martouf/Lantash and sleep, but she forced herself to go collect some of that grass and those sticks she had seen before.

She built a small fire, and when she had done that, she remembered that Martouf and Lantash's wounds probably needed cleaning.

She found her small medkit, and checked on first the head wound, then the gash on his lower right leg. She cleaned both, though they really did not look like they needed it. She also noticed they were already well on their way to being healed, and so she only put a light dressing on the leg wound.

Very tired, and still shivering despite the fire she had made, she pulled off her wet clothing and spread it out on the floor beside Martouf's, before crawling under the blanket beside him, and falling asleep, curling up close to him. She was much too tired to even consider the fact they were both naked and lying closely together.

Some time later, Sam awoke briefly, having heard some sort of noise... a rumble, she thought. It was followed by a loud crash. She listened for a few moments, hearing thunder from outside, but it seemed distant. She felt drowsy in the pleasant warmth, and after a couple moments more, she again snuggled up to Martouf/Lantash, happy neither of them were outside, where the weather had obviously become worse again. She soon fell asleep again.


	3. Safe, but Trapped

Sam slowly woke up, and for a moment or so she just lay there, enjoying the comfortable warmth. She yawned softly and stretched, then froze as she felt warm, naked skin.

"Mmph... Samantha?" Martouf said, sleepily.

"Yes..." Sam answered, now remembering what had happened, and where they were. She had been sleeping, curled up against Martouf's back. "How are you feeling?" She moved away from him a little.

"We are both well, and pleasantly warm."

"What about your concussion and other injuries?" Sam asked. She now felt self-conscious about both of them being naked, and lying so close together. Talking helped taking her attention away from that fact.

Martouf moved a little, stretching. "Except for a slight soreness where my right arm was broken, I am fully healed, and Lantash assures me my arm will feel normal in another hour, at most."

"That's... _incredible_! Give my regards to Lantash for his great healing skills!" Sam said, amazed. "No risk of pneumonia or anything? You were pretty cold and wet last night, and you coughed up a _lot_ of water!"

"No, I assure you, I am fine." He smiled. "There are many advantages to having a symbiote."

"_Obviously_," Sam said. Moving, she again became acutely aware of the fact that she was naked, and very close to an equally naked Martouf. She had to admit it felt very nice.

"Samantha. Lantash reminds me that I should thank you. We were cold, wet, and injured, and would almost certainly have died if you had not helped us. You saved our lives. Thank you." He gave Lantash control.

Lantash immediately turned over, so he was facing Sam. "I remember being very cold and wet, lying in the mud - and being in significant pain. I talked to you, briefly, I believe?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, we talked for a very short time. You gave me quite a scare when you passed out again - mid-sentence - and both of you remained unresponsive for a long time."

"When I woke up next, you had carried me to this nice and warm shelter - and were lying beside me, sharing your body heat with me." He smiled. "Thank you. For all of it."

"Um, you're very welcome. I'm glad you and Martouf are fine. Aren't you tired from healing?"

"No, not any longer. When I had healed the most critical injuries, I was quite exhausted, and fell asleep, and only awoke again now. Most basic healing is instinctual, and will continue at an accelerated speed even if I am asleep." He grinned wryly. "However, Martouf and I are both quite hungry now."

"I should have some energy bars, and a few MREs in my backpack," Sam said. "I'm feeling pretty famished too. Um, I should go and get the food - and we should get our clothes..."

"Yes," Lantash agreed. "That would probably be a good idea."

"Okay. If you'll just turn... ah, you know..."

Lantash suddenly pushed down the blanket and got up. Sam blushed and quickly averted her eyes, pulling the blanket back up to cover herself.

He smiled at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I apologize, Samantha. I forgot the Tau'ri consider nudity offensive. However, since you have already seen me naked, when you undressed me, I assumed it would not be a problem?"

Sam almost rolled her eyes at him, more than suspecting him of doing it on purpose. She then decided it did not matter if he saw her naked too. They had, after all, been sleeping beside each other naked. She threw off the blanket and sat up.

She wrinkled her brow, suddenly realizing it was much warmer in the cave than expected. "The fire has almost burned out, but it's still quite warm in here - and there's enough light to see by, even back here. How odd." She looked around, then up. "Part of the roof seems to be made out of crystal... maybe some sort of quartz. Daylight is shining through it." She got up.

Lantash did not seem to hear what she was talking about, and was just staring at her, taking his time letting his gaze slide from her feet to her head, paying special attention to the place where her legs met, her stomach, and her breasts. Finally, he seemed to shake himself from his daze, and spoke, "You are _beautiful_, Samantha."

"Thanks." She felt her cheeks redden under his scrutiny, but still took the opportunity to look at him in return. "You're not so bad yourself."

When she had taken off his wet clothes the evening before, she had only thought about his injuries, and about getting him warm. Now there was nothing to take her attention away from the fact that he was very attractive. Gorgeous, in fact...

He smiled widely, clearly enjoying the fact that she admired his body. "Thank you, I am pleased you approve."

Recalling a few choice memories from Jolinar, her mind went off in a decidedly erotic direction, and took her body along for the ride. She snuck another look, confirming that his thoughts were going in the same directions, if his body's reaction was anything to go by.

She managed to pull her focus back to their current situation. Clothes. Food. Water. Then see if her radio still worked, and if they could contact the others. She sighed, picking up her clothes, which were by now mostly dry. "We better get dressed." She began throwing on her clothing. "The food is in my backpack. I'll go see if I can contact the others. They're probably worried for us."

Lantash nodded, and with some regret, he started dressing as well.

* * *

Sam stared with disbelief at the rubble. This part of the cave was almost completely dark, only very dimly lit from the light that streamed through the roof in the other section of it. She turned on her flashlight, shining it along the walls, and then towards where she was _certain_ the entrance had been the evening before.

Martouf joined her. "This was where we entered yesterday?"

Sam nodded. "Yes."

He kneeled, examining the rubble. "It must have been a cave-in of some sort."

"Of course!" Sam groaned. "I was awakened by a loud crash or something, tonight. I was very tired, and it didn't really register at that time, but now I think about it, I think it might have been a lightning bolt that hit the cave entrance. I heard thunder and a huge crash... but I was so tired I just fell back asleep."

"Understandably. You were exhausted from your ordeal yesterday, as well as from carrying me to safety." Martouf sighed. "I do not believe we will be able to get through this easily. I lost my backpack, and all my weapons in the river. Do you still have your zat'nik'tel? We might use that to vaporize this." He indicated the debris.

Sam shook her head. "No, it's gone. It was strapped to my leg. Probably washed away by the river." She turned on the radio. "They radio should be able to transmit through it. I don't think it's _that_ thick a layer."

"It may contain materials which interferes with radio waves, but it is worth trying."

"Hello. This is Major Carter calling. Come in. Is anyone picking this up?"

* * *

"It's no use. Either the signal is not coming through, or there's no one out there to pick it up," Sam said, despondently.

"The others probably made it safely to the chaapa'ai. They will return to search for us when the weather has calmed down."

Sam nodded. "I think I _did_ see the others make it across the bridge before it collapsed, so I agree with you. They are probably safe. We'll just have to wait and hope they find us before we starve to death - or die of thirst."

"If this cave is indeed completely blocked, it is more likely we will die of suffocation first. We should not light the fire again."

"Thanks for the cheer-up!" Sam complained.

"Sorry. We should search the cave and see if there is something which can be used to dig in this rubble."

"I agree - but we should eat first. I'm starving!"


	4. The Valley

"There is a small opening back here," Martouf said. He was lying on his stomach, examining the innermost part of the cave. It was only maybe 2 feet high in there, and an outcropping of rock hid the opening, so they had not noticed it before.

"Can we get through it?"

"I believe so." He was quiet for a moment. "I feel cool air coming from somewhere further in, and I can hear water running."

Sam handed him the flashlight. "Here."

He used it to light up the passage, as far as possible. "There's not much room, but it looks like it opens up further along."

"We better not get stuck in there!"

"I will go first," Martouf said.

"Be careful."

"I will be." He smiled, pleased that she cared. He squeezed through the opening, then crawled a few feet. "There is more room here already." He crawled a little further, then stood up. He ran the light of the flashlight over the walls. "You can come through. There is a large tunnel in here, and you can stand up straight. I have found the water I heard - it is a small stream, running alongside one of the walls."

"Okay, sounds good! Then we'll not die from thirst, at least!" Sam pushed the backpack ahead of her, as she crawled through the narrow corridor. She soon got out into the larger tunnel where Martouf was standing, waiting for her. "Wow, you're right! This is _very_ wide... and that water looks very appealing. I'm thirsty!"

"As am I, but you should allow me to drink from it first. Lantash will be able to tell if it is safe - and it will not harm us."

"Impressive... well, go ahead, then," Sam said.

Martouf gave Lantash control, and he kneeled down at the water stream and scooped up some water. He drank a little. "The water is clean - you can drink it." He scooped up several more handfuls and drank thirstily.

"Great!" Sam took out her water canteen and filled it from the small brook, then drank from the canteen. Afterwards, she refilled it - it was always a good idea to have water, if something should happen.

"I suggest we follow the water stream. If we are fortunate, it exits this mountain through an opening we can go through as well," Lantash suggested.

"Sounds like as good an idea as any. Lead the way!"

* * *

They followed the purling stream for almost an hour, as it was slowly winding its way through caves and tunnels. The stream slowly grew in size, as it collected water from other small waterways. Once, they had even come across a sizeable, underground lake, in a large cavern.

Most of the way it was fairly easy going, but here and there they had to squeeze through narrow openings or crawl.

"I believe I hear something that sounds like a waterfall," Martouf said, listening.

"I don't hear anything, but I don't have symbiote-enhanced hearing, so..." Sam smiled.

They walked a little further, and then Sam could hear it too. Martouf suddenly stopped, and turned off the flashlight. It had been growing dimmer for a while, and they had made a torch, which they could light if the flashlight ran out of battery completely. "Do you see? There is a faint light in here," Martouf observed. "I had noticed that the light had become a little stronger, so I suspected that was the case."

"Give me a few moments longer, to get used to the darkness..." Sam said, then almost immediately nodded. "You're right. There's light coming from ahead! I wonder if it's more of that translucent quartz, or if it's an actual opening out!"

"I think the latter. _Look_!" Martouf pointed.

They had just turned a bend in the tunnel, and ahead of them the water was rushing out through an opening in the mountain - it was the waterfall they had already heard earlier.

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around Martouf and hugging him. "We're not trapped!" She blushed, letting go of him. "Oops, sorry!"

"For what? I do not mind being embraced by you. Quite on the contrary." He smiled at her.

Sam smiled back, still feeling awkward. "Let's go see if we can get out. Are you coming?"

"Of course."

* * *

They could not easily get out through the opening where the water exited. However, near the roof they found a narrow opening where they could _just_ squeeze through. It lead to a low tunnel. It looked as if it had been cut by the water in the past, and then a cave-in of some sort had caused the water to take a new route.

The opening exited only a few feet above ground, and they made it out safely.

"Wow!" Sam said, looking out over the valley that stretched before them.

The mountains rose on both sides, protecting the valley from the worst of the weather. It was very green, almost paradisaical, with trees, bushes, flowers, lush green grass - and birds singing. Sam even spotted a small, furry animal of some sort, which disappeared among the greenery.

"It is indeed beautiful," Lantash agreed, admiring the view.

"It's surprisingly warm." Sam looked up. "I mean, yeah, the weather is nice again. Sunny and, ah, green sky... but still. There was a bad thunderstorm as late as tonight, and yesterday was the mother of all storms."

"Very true." He frowned, sniffing the air. "There is a faint smell of sulphur. Can you smell it?"

Sam sniffed. "Now you mention it... yes..." She nodded. "You're thinking hot springs?"

"Yes, that might help explain the mild weather here in the valley."

"You're right. It might... and that sounds nice, actually. I'd really like a bath after yesterday."

Lantash nodded. "I agree. Hopefully there is also some fruit or berries we can find - or perhaps we can hunt."

"Well, it should be late summer here, so there may well be some berries... as for hunting - I've only got a knife, so I don't know how easy that's going to be."

"I also only have a knife, but I was thinking of using a snare, perhaps. My first host knew how to make those, and I have that knowledge from him, of course."

"Yes... that might work. I'll just try if I can get any contact on the radio, then we'll go see see what we can find. Okay?"


	5. Looking for Food

They followed the stream as the walked into the valley. The grass was fairly high in many places, so they mostly kept to the areas with sand or stone. They had not walked far before they found the source of the sulphurous smell - the water from a hot spring gushed from an opening in the mountain wall, and the water pooled in a small lake, eventually purling away in a shallow brook.

"That looks wonderful!" Sam said, looking at the lake, and the soft sand on one side of it. Black sand - which given the probable volcanic origin of the hot spring, was hardly surprising. "I hope it's not too hot to bathe in." She added, with some trepidation.

"There is no actual steam coming from the location where it exits the mountain, so I would assume it runs for some distance inside it, before flowing to the outside. We should be careful, of course." Martouf observed, as they approached the lake. He kneeled beside it, and immediately realized the water was nowhere near warm enough to harm them. He stuck his hand into the water. "It is pleasant, perhaps a little below body temperature."

"Great!" Sam smiled, looking around the place. "I still have two MREs. What do you say we eat those, and then take a bath before going any further?"

"That sounds like a good idea."

They sat down on the soft sand, and ripped open the MREs. The sun was shining, and it was pleasantly warm. The insects were buzzing in the flowers nearby, and birds were singing.

"This is almost like a vacation," Sam said, as she began eating her food. "Just... this is maybe not the best food." She grinned.

"It is... _edible_." Martouf smiled his most charming smile at her. "But the surroundings are beautiful and peaceful - and the company is very pleasant."

"Thank you. I enjoy spending time with you, too. It's nice to not only meet when there's some sort of crisis." Sam sighed. "The others must be worried for us. I'll give the radio another try."

"You have not received any signal, though. Would that not be the case, if the others were sending? The radio is activated, is it not?"

"Yes..." Sam admitted. "Still, it's worth a try..."

"Couldn't the mountain block the transmission?"

"They very well could - and most likely are, unfortunately. We'll just have to try to find a way to get to a higher altitude." She gazed at the mountains. "The sides look _much_ too steep to climb without special equipment, though. We'll have to wait and see, and hope we find a place where it's easier."

* * *

Martouf quickly undressed, then stepped out into the water. Sam admired his gorgeous body - while pretending not to look - then followed suit. He had, after all, already seen her naked.

"The water is really pleasant," Sam said, running her hands through the water. The lake was not deep, the water reaching to just under her arms where it was deepest. The bottom was gravel and sand, with a small amount of aquatic plants here and there. "It's strange - it doesn't look like there's any fish.

"The water is probably too hot, and there is also little for them to eat." He scooped up some water and tasted it. "Lantash says there are quite a lot of minerals in the water, and that it does not taste good, but nothing that would be dangerous for us, even if we drank it."

"Well, that's good." Sam smiled, closing her eyes as she lay on her back, and _just_ managed to float in the warm water, most of her body remaining a little under the surface. She took a deep breath. "This is _wonderful_!"

* * *

They had taken the opportunity to wash the mud from their clothing, then placed it on warm rocks nearby, to let it dry.

After relaxing and playing in the water for a long time, they got up and lay on the beach, allowing the sun to dry them. They had talked a little, then fallen asleep in the pleasant warmth. There did not seem to be any danger here, and they were still tired from the previous day's ordeal.

Sam awoke, and for a few moments she just enjoyed the heat from the sun, and the light wind which now and then blew over her, and which meant it did not get too hot.

She thought about everything that had happened lately. Yesterday it had looked very bleak, and for a while she had feared Martouf and Lantash would die. She had felt a strong fear, _dread_, at that, and even now, just thinking about it, made her heart ache.

She was currently stranded here with them, and it was more than obvious they were interested in her. True, she had suspected that for some time - they were not exactly subtle.

She sighed softly. The feelings she had inherited from Jolinar made it difficult to know how she truly felt for Martouf and Lantash. Whenever she looked at them - or thought of them - she felt a strong love. Her heart beat faster from just being near them. Had it been that way ever since she met them? Was that due to Jolinar? She tried to remember. She thought it had grown more intense, more all-encompassing. On the other hand, she did not usually feel like this. About anyone.

So... whatever she felt, was probably at least initiated by Jolinar's emotions, even if she more than suspected her own feelings had grown from them. Would she have fallen for Martouf - and Lantash - on her own? Maybe. _Probably_. They had many traits she admired, they were kind and intelligent - and also very attractive. She could very well have fallen for them on her own.

Of course, the question was whether it even mattered where the feelings originated. She felt them, so that meant they were hers, did it not? And there was no question that she loved them, not when she thought back to the heart-wrenching moment when she thought she had lost them... or when she thought about how much she had enjoyed playing with them in the water... or just talking with them.

Perhaps she should take this opportunity to get to know them better - and find out if she wanted a relationship with them. If _they_ wanted that too, of course. She suddenly became worried they might only be interested in her because she carried what was left of their mate, Jolinar.

She realized she felt a presence - the naquadah signature from Lantash, of course, but she had gotten used to feeling that in the time they had spent closely together. She opened her eyes, and saw Martouf/Lantash was sitting up nearby, looking at her.

"Hello." She smiled at him, focusing on his face and again feeling more than a bit self-conscious, since she was naked - as was he. Yes, they had seen each other in the nude a few times now, but somehow it was different than when they had played naked in the water. "You're awake."

He nodded, smiling back at her. "Yes, we woke up a short while ago, but we did not want to wake you."

"Thanks," Sam said. "Ah, we should probably check if our clothes are dry - it'll probably be evening soon."

Martouf gazed at the sky, judging the height of the sun. "It is, perhaps, some three hours past midday. The sun will set in maybe another five hours. Ample time." He did not say for what, and when he saw her blush, he smiled a little and got up. "I shall examine our clothing." He walked over to the nearby rocks, where the clothes were spread out.

Sam openly stared at his butt. It looked nice and firm... _strong_. She imagined touching it, holding on to it as he lay on top of her, thrusting...

She forced her thoughts away from that subject, and cleared her throat. "Are our clothes dry?"

"Not completely - and our jackets not at all," he told her.

"Okay. Well, it's nice and warm - it'll dry as we walk, and we don't need to put on the jackets yet."

* * *

"The fish in the brook are all tiny - at least all the ones I've seen. We should try to capture one of those rabbits we saw instead," Sam said.

"I agree. We should make several snares, so as to increase the likelihood that one of them will catch a something," Lantash observed. "Let's go back to one of the places where we saw rabbits."

"Yes." Sam was going through her backpack, finding the fishing line in her emergency survival kit. "We can use this for making the snares, right? There's about 50 feet of thin line, and 25 feet of a thicker one. Both are very strong." She handed him the lines.

"These will work very well. I am pleased you had those. Otherwise, we would have had to make a cord from braided or wrapped inner tree barks, or from sinuous plants, like nettles or grasses, perhaps. The fishing line is long enough for several snares - when catching rabbits, we do not need a very long piece for each snare, only something like 20-24 inches," Lantash explained.

They walked back to the nearest place where they had seen rabbits. As they walked, Lantash started collecting sticks to keep the trap suspended in the right place.

When they reached the place they were going to set the traps, Lantash showed Sam how the snare was made and set up, so it would spring when the rabbit came hopping along into it. He then used a small tree to put the snare under tension. When it was sprung, the snare would catch the rabbit around the neck, and strangle it, as it was lifted clear of the ground.

Sam only had to see it made once, before she could quickly copy it, and they made several snares before being satisfied.

They left the area, so the rabbits would return to forage. This would most likely happen around dusk. By then, Sam and Martouf/Lantash would go back to check their traps. Until that time, they continued exploring the valley, and picked fruit and berries to eat.

* * *

"It looks as if there is an opening in the mountain side over there." Martouf observed. "Do you see it? Not far from where that small stream turns and goes almost straight towards us."

"Yes, I see it," Sam said.

"We should determine if it leads to a tunnel system like the one we entered through. If so, it might be a way out... and if not, it could be a safe place to spend the night."

"I agree. Let's go check."

They found their way through the high grass, and soon reached the opening in the mountain. The flashlight no longer had power, so they lit a dry branch and used it as torch.

Martouf entered first - the torch in one hand, and his knife in the other. Sam followed, also holding her knife at the ready. However, there were no large predators, or any other dangerous animals hiding in there. The cave was fairly deep, and would make for excellent shelter, but it was soon obvious that there was no tunnel system leading from the cave, through the mountain. It was a cave, and nothing else.

"There is soft sand on part of the floor. If we collect some dry grass, we should be able to sleep comfortably here," Martouf said.

Sam nodded. "It sounds nice - let's get started, so I know I have a soft bed waiting for me!"

"There is even a small stream just outside, so it should not be a problem getting fresh water."

"I agree. It's a very good place. Now... if we're just lucky and have caught a rabbit or something similar so we can get something nice to eat, this isn't turning out so bad at all."


	6. Enjoying Each Others Company

"Did we have any success?" Martouf asked, walking towards Sam, who were checking the snares.

"Yes, we captured _two_ rabbits!" Sam held up one of the small, dead animals. "Fortunately, the snare worked as it should, so they didn't suffer. I think they were killed more or less instantly."

"The snare is supposed to work that way, yes," Martouf said. "Two rabbits... that is very lucky. We will have food for tomorrow as well."

Sam nodded. "Yes - what did you find?"

"I have picked more fruit and some more berries, all of which I have returned to the cave. I also found these tubers." He took one of them out of his bag, and held it up. "They resemble some that the Tok'ra often cook and eat."

"No kidding, they look like potatoes!" Sam exclaimed, shaking her head.

"Jacob has told me that is your word for them. We call them _pah'pas_. Regardless, I have tasted the tubers, and they are edible and contains nothing dangerous. I have also found some herbs, which I believe should taste good with the rabbit."

"Great!" She wrinkled her brow as she looked at the rabbit. "Since you know so much about herbs and cooking and stuff, perhaps you know how to skin a rabbit too? If I try, I'm probably just going to make a mess of it."

Martouf nodded. "I can probably do that. All Tok'ra get to take turns working in the kitchen." He smiled at her.

"Better and better." Sam smiled back at him, pleased. "I'll build a fire and find a sharp stick to use for spit roasting the rabbit, while you prepare it."

"Cooking a rabbit that way easily results in something that is dry on the outside, and nearly raw near the bones, unless you cook it very slowly, over coals. There are better ways of doing it - either wrap it in clay, or clean the hide and use it to cook it in," Martouf said, as they were walking back to the cave.

"I've heard about wrapping it in clay, but I can't see how you can cook it in the hide?" Sam wondered.

"I have seen it done. You skin the rabbit, and scrape as much hair as possible off the hide. Then you should put four sticks in the ground and attach the skin to them, making a sort of bowl. Then fill it with water. Find some small or medium sized stones, and heat them in a fire. When they're hot, you put them in the water. If you've cut the rabbit in small pieces, they will cook fairly quickly - though you have to change the stones often, of course, and picking them up with sticks is probably not easy."

"Ah, I see what you mean - I thought you wanted to hang the skin over the fire."

"No, I do not believe that would work - unless it was a large, thick hide, and completely cleaned of hair."

"So - are you going with the clay-wrapping or the boiling-in-skin method?" Sam smiled at him.

"Probably wrapping it in clay. I have only seen the other method done once, and I fear it would take me a long time to succeed," Martouf admitted.

"A pity - it sounded much more appealing!" Sam teased.

"Does that mean I would lose any hope of impressing you, if I use the other method of preparing the meat?" Martouf asked, a glint in his eyes.

"Not at all! As long as the food ends up tasting good!" Sam smiled at him.

* * *

Martouf/Lantash had found some usable clay, and after cleaning the two rabbits, they had cut small pockets in the meat and added the herbs, before wrapping the clay around them.

Meanwhile, Sam had gathered firewood, and built a good fire. She had buried the potato-like tubers in the sand under the fire, like her grandfather had once shown her. They would be ready when the rest of the food was cooked.

"It's really nice - I just wish we had a couple of beers, then it would be _perfect,_" Sam said.

They were sitting on rocks near the campfire, waiting for the food to cook. The air was cool, but not cold, and near the fire it was nice and warm. The sun had set, and the sky was very dark, as neither of the planets moons were up right now. That meant there was a beautiful view of the stars.

With no light pollution, the sky was darker, and the stars clearer, than most places on Earth. Right now there was a fantastic view of the Milky Way, which made a glittering band across the sky. A greenish nebula was visible as well, and Sam had to admit she could not remember having seen a more beautiful sky.

"This place is indeed very pleasant," Martouf observed. "The stars and the sky are beautiful, and much like the sky on Marloon, though that one has more... _shre'ai..._ ah, star clouds, perhaps? I do not know your word for it?"

"Nebulae, probably," Sam said.

Martouf nodded. "Rosha, Jolinar, Lantash, and I would sometimes go to the planet Marloon, when we had some time off. There is a place, just by the ocean, where you can sit in the soft sand and look down into the clear water and see beautiful, colourful sea plants and animals. Then, when the suns set, one after another, they colour the sky in yellow, green, orange, and red... then night falls, and the sky is even _more_ beautiful... the star-band... our Galaxy... you call it the Milky Way, correct?"

"Yes, we do."

"The _Milky Way_ is clearer than in any other place I have been. It is a sparkling, silver band across the sky. There are blue and red diffuse gas clouds, with luminous stars interspersed with fainter ones... we would sit and look at it for hours, sometimes." He smiled at her, and took her hand, squeezing it. "I would _very_ much like to show it to you."

"That sounds... very beautiful, and very unusual. I think I would like to see it, thanks." Sam smiled back at him, and did not pull her hand away.

They fell silent, and for some time, they looked at the sky and enjoyed the peaceful, quiet evening.

Martouf sighed. "I believe our food should be cooked now."

"I'm not sure how long it has cooked, actually," Sam said. "My watch was destroyed by the river."

"I noted the location of the, ah, _nebula,_ when we set the food to cooking. It has moved approximately 30 degrees since then. This planet has a rotation period... a _day_, of nearly 25 standard hours."

"So a star or a nebula would move about... 14.5... _14.4_ degrees per hour. So, it's cooked a little over 2 hours. Of _course_, why didn't _I_ think of that?"

Martouf nodded. "Yes. And I believe that should be quite sufficient, given the size of the rabbits, and such." He got a naughty glint in his eyes. "I am sure you would normally have thought to notice the movement of the nebula, however... perhaps I was distracting you?"

Sam blushed a little, and smiled. "Perhaps." Her stomach growled. "I'm hungry - let's go check out the food?"

* * *

"This was _very_ good!" Sam said, with emphasis, licking her fingers after eating the rabbit meat. "Those herbs you'd found suited it perfectly - and it was really juicy."

Lantash smiled, a proud expression on his face. "Thank you, I am pleased you liked it"

"I definitely did!"

"Would you like some fruit for dessert? I found some apples which were already ripe."

Sam nodded. "Yes, why not? That sounds good."

Lantash got up and went to fetch the fruit, then returned with his hands full, carrying two apples, and a two straws threaded with wild strawberries. "Here, Samantha - take one. I also picked these strawberries. They are quite sweet and fragrant. I hoped you might want some of those as well?" He held out his hands with the apples and berries.

"That looks delicious!" Sam took one straw with strawberries, and one of the apples. "Thanks, Lantash!" Acting on an impulse, she rose and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He smiled widely, as he sat on the rock beside her. "It was my pleasure."

Sam smiled back at him. The brief second thoughts she had gotten about kissing him, disappearing completely. She would definitely use this opportunity to learn more about Martouf and Lantash - and hopefully figure out if they were interested in _her_, and not just Jolinar.

Because she was definitely interested in him... _both_ of them. A lot.

* * *

When they had finished eating, they quickly prepared for bed.

They had built a fire near the opening of the cave, and they hoped it would both keep insects and various creatures out, and also make the cool night air warmer.

They had the two thermal blankets, one of which they had placed directly on the sand, under the thick layer of hay they had gathered.

Since they only had one - fairly large - woolen blanket, they would share that. Sleeping close to each other would also help keep them warm,.

"Goodnight, Samantha," Martouf said.

"Goodnight, Martouf and Lantash."

Sam turned over on her side and tried to sleep. She had a hard time ignoring that Martouf and Lantash were lying a very short distance from her - in fact, she could not only feel the warmth from them, but if she moved even a little, she brushed against them.

Memories from Jolinar kept popping into her head - very erotic memories, and they mixed with her own thoughts and desires, which were also rather base. She took a deep breath, and forced those thoughts from her mind. She was supposed to sleep, dammit!

It took some time, but finally, Sam managed to fall asleep. Beside her, Martouf and Lantash were sleeping as well - after having been in much the same situation as Sam.


	7. Dreams

I made minor changes to this chapter, since the original version was a very mild R. Original version can be read at Symbiotica (link in profile, go to 'Titles', then 'L', then scroll down to read this).

* * *

"Oh, yes!" Sam moaned. "Lantash... _please_... a little harder... ah, yeess!"

She groaned and writhed, before arching her body, another moan escaping her mouth.

Martouf woke up from the sound, and the movement. For a moment he was uncertain where he was, or who was making the noises, then Sam spoke again. She uttered his name and Lantash's - and then she said something in Goa'uld - and he was fairly certain she did _not_ know those words in Goa'uld!

*She is dreaming of us - and her dreams seems quite... _erotic_,* Lantash observed. Surprised, he continued. *I, ah, was under the impression she did not know much Goa'uld, but... she, ah, well you heard. She just begged me to mate with her - and in quite explicit terms. And she said it in Goa'uld!*

*More like _moaned_ it, but I agree,* Martouf noted, swallowing hard as the still sleeping Sam threw an arm across his chest and pulled him to her. He gasped as she proceeded to caress him down over his stomach, and further down. *Um, should... should we wake her?*

*Of _course_ we should wake her! I, for one, will not easily be able to sleep right now, and I would be _very_ surprised if you were feeling differently, if our body's reaction is anything to go by!*

*Very true.* Martouf hesitated for a moment, then turned a little more towards her, and touched Sam on the shoulder. "Samantha?"

She did not wake up, but instead pulled him closer to her. "Martouf... _beloved_..." she murmured, as she let her leg slide over him and wrap around him.

Martouf made a hoarse sound as Sam rubbed herself against him. "Samantha... _please_..." He grabbed her shoulder again and shook her gently, as he did his best to ignore Lantash's suggestion that they just pushed her over on her back and gave her what she - and they - obviously wanted. "You are dreaming."

All of a sudden, Sam woke up. At first, she was confused, and since she found herself in bed with the man she had just been dreaming about, it took a moment before she understood that it had been a dream.

Realizing that, she rolled some distance away from him and looked at him, horrified with herself. "Oh, my god, Martouf, I'm so, so sorry! I... I would never force my attentions on... I mean, I... I was dreaming, um..."

Martouf's eyes flashed as Lantash took control.

"There is no need to apologize, Samantha, nor is there a need to stop what you were doing. You clearly desire us, and I _promise_ you, _we_ desire you."

Sam blushed furiously, and was very happy the only light in the cave came from the embers of the fire they had built before going to sleep. Lantash would hopefully not be able to see her reaction.

"Um... that's... that's good, I guess..."

"_Very_ good..." Lantash pulled her closer, and kissed her. She responded immediately, throwing her arms around him again.

They rolled over so she was lying on her back, with Lantash partially on top of her. He deepened the kiss, tangling his tongue with hers. Sam moaned into his mouth, and caressed his back, finding the hem of his shirt and sliding her hand up under it, enjoying the feel of his soft, warm skin under her fingers.

Lantash had just slipped a hand under Sam's shirt when they were both startled by a shrill shriek from outside.

"What _was_ that?" Sam wondered, sounding more than a little concerned.

"Probably just an animal," Lantash said, wanting to go back to kissing and fondling Sam.

"Yeah, I realize that, but what if it's a dangerous predator? We don't have any weapons."

Lantash sighed. "We do have the knives, and besides, I doubt it's interested in us. Regardless, the fire will keep it away."

"It's almost burned out, though." She threw aside the blanket, and shivered. "And it's getting cold!"

He took a deep breath, and resigned himself to probably not being able to convince Sam there was no danger - particularly since Martouf had now taken up her cause as well.

"I shall investigate - and put more wood on the fire." Lantash got up and grabbed the knife, then picked up a piece of dry wood and lit it in the fire so he had a torch, before going to the cave opening.

"Thanks," Sam said, pulling the blanket up again. She felt more than a little guilty. "Be careful!"

"Always, Samantha."

* * *

After spending some time checking the area immediately outside the cave - and finding nothing dangerous - Lantash decided it was probably just a small animal that had screamed when it got captured by a predator. He returned to the cave, threw some wood on the fire, and crawled back to bed.

He was cold, and shivering, he snuggled up to Sam, who held him close to warm him. Lantash gave her a kiss, and while she did not push him away, she also did not make any indications of wanting to continue what they had been doing before they were interrupted.

Actually, Sam very much regretted they had been interrupted, and even more that she had felt too embarrassed to continue making out. It was obvious Martouf and Lantash had wanted to, and to be honest, she had too.

The problem was that she had been lying there thinking about it, and had gotten worried that they did not really want her - for _her_ - but just because she had been host to Jolinar. She also felt both awkward and ashamed for what she had done, when she had been dreaming about them. The mood was well and thoroughly broken.

It took her a long time to fall asleep, after vowing to herself that she would not reject their advances again.

* * *

When they woke up the next morning, it was again warm and pleasant outside. They ate some of the food from the day before, then wrapped the rest up, together with their few other things.

They set out in the direction opposite of where they had entered the valley, and again began their search for a way out. They had hoped to find either a tunnel system like that through which they had entered, or by finding a place where the mountains could be scaled without special equipment they did not have.

After walking for several hours, it was getting hot. It was about an hour after noon, and the sun was burning relentlessly, shining almost directly down on them. With no clouds, there was no relief in sight.

"I realize we probably need to gather more food soon, and make sure we find a place we can sleep tonight, but it's still early... so, what do you say we take a break?" Sam suggested. "That small pond over there looks wonderful, and there is a shadowy grove beside it - with fruit trees!"

Martouf nodded. "It looks pleasant, and I agree. It would be nice to stay in the shadow for a while, until the strongest heat of the day has passed."

The water in the small lake was a little cooler than tepid, and felt perfect in the heat. They spent a long time just enjoying the water, soaking in the shallow end of the lake, where the trees from the grove cast a pleasant shadow.

* * *

Sam threw Martouf a hidden look, then pulled a t-shirt on and sat down in the soft grass beside him. Martouf made no move to get dressed, nor did he seem at all shy about his nakedness. She sighed softly to herself, thinking about how wonderful it had felt to kiss him the night before. She again bitterly regretted having rebuffed him.

Her stomach rumbled, and she remembered the fruit she had noticed on the trees before. Looking around and up, she saw that several of the trees in the grove carried small fruits. They looked a bit like apples, except that they were almost completely orange. There were also bushes with a very red berry, growing nearby.

"Do you think the fruit is edible? It looks good," Sam said, getting up. "And so do the berries."

"The berries I recognize. They are called glowberries, because they will glow when you cook them. They are juicy and good to eat. I do not know the fruits, though." Martouf gave Lantash control.

"It would be best if I try the fruits first. I can determine if they contain anything dangerous."

"Okay, if you're sure it won't harm you."

He shook his head. "It will not. Even if they are poisonous, it would take a very large number of them to overwhelm my ability to neutralize and filter out the poison. The number of compounds I cannot easily neutralize is very small. It is highly unlikely a naturally occurring fruit would contain one of them."

Getting up, he went to pick one of the little orange fruits, then took a small bite from it.

"Well?" Sam asked.

"It is quite tasty - and nutritious. I detect nothing poisonous. I believe it has a mildly intoxicating effect, but it is so mild that even a human would have to eat fairly many before experiencing any noticeable effect."

"Great! Then let's pick some of them - and some of those glowberries! That should make for a nice lunch!" Sam said.


	8. Side Effects

This chapter is somewhat short, since it has been rewritten/cut from its original NC-17 rating to (hopefully) achieve a PG-13 rating. The original version can be found by going to Symbiotica (link in profile), click on 'Titles', then on 'L', and scroll down to find this story.

* * *

Sam giggled and reached for several more of the glowberries, then took one of the small fruits. "These are _really_ delicious, and in combination they are fantastic!" She stuffed her mouth with the fruit-berry mix.

"I very much agree!" Martouf smiled widely, and ate a handful of the berries, then grabbed a couple fruits and ate them as well. "Actually, I don't remember _ever_ eating anything as tasty as this!"

"Martouf... and Lantash... I'm so, _so_ sorry about tonight. I mean, I _wanted_ you, I really did! But... I just got _worried_, you know? That you didn't really want me, and just... um, you know... reacted to me when I was... uh, _rubbing_ myself against you!" She hid her face in her hands. "I'm so ashamed of my behaviour last night!"

"Samantha... _beloved_, you have nothing to worry about! We... are very fond of you. More than fond, we _love_ you! And we want you... _desire_ you..." Martouf scooted closer to her and was about to throw an arm around her, when he looked at his hand - completely smeared with juices from the fruit.

"Really? You... you _love_ me?" She stared at him, not believing her own ears. She smiled widely. "I... I like you too. A _lot_! Actually... I... I love you too! And I want you..." She blushed. "oops... I didn't mean to just blurt it out like that..." Suddenly she made a low moan. "Martouf... I want you... so much... actually, _god_, I'm feeling horny!"

Martouf tried to get up so he could go and wash the fruit off his hands - and almost fell. "Whoa! _So_ dizzy?"

"Careful!" Sam shrieked, afraid he would fall and hurt himself. Stumbling she got up, took a few steps, then fell - causing both herself and Martouf/Lantash to fall into the water with a big splash.

They both made several attempts to get up before succeeding, their lust temporarily cooled by the water. They waded towards the waterfront - and then Sam fell again.

"Samantha!" Martouf exclaimed, grabbing hold of her and succeeding in dragging her out of the water and onto the beach, where they ended up in a tangle of arms and legs.

Neither of them made any moves to disentangle themselves from each other.

"Thanks!" She smiled at him, then pulled at her shirt and panties, the only clothing she was wearing. "Eww, they're _soaked_!"

"Yes." Martouf stared at her, the wet t-shirt clinging to her body, and her nipples clearly visible. He smiled, enjoying the sight. "How fortunate for me that I had not put on any clothes!" He took a few steps back so she could see that he was naked - and also clearly affected by her presence.

Sam giggled. "Well, then maybe I should get naked too!" She quickly pulled her shirt off, then pushed her panties down, before looking at Martouf again. "Better?"

He ogled her shamelessly, but it was several moments before he said anything. "Yes... you are _beautiful_, Samantha!" He suddenly gasped, and swayed dangerously, before blurting out hoarsely. "I need you!"

His eyes flashed, as Lantash took control, steadying them with some difficulty. He spent a moment collecting himself before speaking.

"I... apologize. I didn't realize... but the fruit and the berries in combination... acts as a _very_ potent... aphrodisiac. One I cannot neutralize." He wrinkled his brow, and swallowed hard before continuing. "It's also... somewhat more intoxicating than I anticipated..."

"_And_ it makes you say things you wouldn't have otherwise." Sam groaned and closed her eyes. "I don't care... I need you so much right now that I can't even _see _straight!"

"Yes..." Lantash again swallowed hard, unable to stop himself from looking at Sam. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her senseless, then push her down on the ground and mate with her, again and again. "The effect seems to be, ah, amplifying as the... intoxication wears off."

Sam allowed her gaze to glide admiringly over his body. She fought the urge to throw herself at him. She made a small, pained sound. "Oh, Lantash... you're so sexy... and you obviously want... the same as me."

"I am pleased you approve." He smiled, still staring shamelessly at her naked body. His gaze lingered for a moment at her breasts, before continuing to her stomach, her legs, the area where her legs joined... "You are so beautiful..." he said, hoarsely. "And yes, I want you, very much."

He grabbed her and pulled her to him. Sam immediately threw her arms around him and they kissed passionately. Still somewhat intoxicated, they were unsteady, and tumbled to the ground, Lantash landing partially on Sam. However, they did not hurt themselves in the soft grass, and just continued kissing, touching, caressing each other...

* * *

It was perhaps an hour later, when Sam woke up, feeling thirsty. Despite the fact they had just made love, she was feeling very aroused. The aphrodisiac was clearly still affecting her.

She moaned softly to herself and looked at the still sleeping Martouf and Lantash. Deciding to do something about the thirst first, she looked around and spotted her backpack nearby, with the water canteen beside it. She carefully disentangled herself from Martouf/Lantash and crawled over to the canteen and took a few gulps.

With her thirst satisfied, she focused on her next problem. She was _extremely_ aroused. More so than she had been before they had sex the first time. Apparently, the aphrodisiac effect grew as you started metabolizing the two types of fruit. She moaned again, and slipped a hand down between her legs. She was considering waking up Martouf/Lantash, when she heard a muffled sound from behind her.

Still on all fours, after crawling for the water, she turned to see Martouf/Lantash was waking up. It was obvious that _one_ part at least was very much awake.

Sam winked at them. "You look _so_ sexy, sweeties... and I am _so_ horny... won't you _please_ come and help me satisfy this... _need_?"

Martouf stared at her, getting a look of lust on his face, and made a strangled sound. He closed the short distance between them in mere moments, grabbing her. Obviously more than willing to give her what she needed - and he needed as well.

* * *

This repeated itself several more times over the day. They got a few hours of sleep, and then either Sam, Martouf, or Lantash woke up first, then woke the others so they could make love again. The aphrodisiac was only very slowly being neutralized by their bodies.

It was a good thing the day was warm, and that there was no large predators in the valley which could endanger them.


	9. A Way Out

This chapter has been rewritten/cut to achieve a PG-13 rating. The original NC-17 version of the chapter can be read at Symbiotica (link in profile). Go there, click 'Titles', then 'L', and scroll down to this story.

* * *

It was almost evening when they were finally dressed again, and slowly walking through the valley. Since it was so late already, they had decided to return to spend the night in a cave they had spotted maybe an hour before they got to the lake. By now the effect of the aphrodisiac had almost dissipated, and they were able to think clearly again, but they were more than a little tired.

"Martouf?" Sam asked, as they were walking back towards the cave. "You've been quiet for some time. Is something the matter?"

"As have you, Samantha... Lantash and I..." He gave her a shy, charming look. "We were worried you regretted what happened. That you were, perhaps... _angry_ that we mated."

"Angry?" She shook her head. "_No_, Martouf, not at all. I mean, it's not like it was your fault any more than it was mine, or anyone's at all - it was the combination of those fruits and berries that were just... very potent."

"That is good." He looked relieved. "Thank you."

"Martouf... did you mean what you said, or was it just the fruit making you say it? That... that you love me?" Sam wondered, her heart beating like crazy with both hope and worry.

"That was the truth, Samantha. Lantash and I _do_ love you." He stopped her and looked directly at her, the fear and worry clear in his eyes. "How do _you_ feel? You said you _liked_ us. That you _love_ us... was that just the drug making you say that?"

"You really love me?" Sam smiled widely. "I... what I said was the truth as well. I love you! Both of you!"

Martouf looked immensely relieved. "If you knew how much we have dreamt of hearing you say that!" He pulled her to him and kissed her warmly.

She embraced him as well, and they stood like that for a long time, just holding each other close, so very happy and relieved to know their love for each other were reciprocated.

* * *

The next day they rose early, determined to catch up for some of the slack from the day before. They had still not found a place where it was possible to scale the steep mountains, or a passage through them.

They walked the whole day, taking only short breaks to eat, and a longer rest around noon, when it became as hot as it had the day before. There was one good thing about the burning sun - the ground along the river outside would dry up quickly, and it should not be much of a problem to walk back to the Stargate.

The river had washed them at least eight or nine miles downstream, and they had probably walked another maybe 15 miles inside the valley. Since they had taken many breaks, spent time hunting for food, having sex, and trying to climb the mountains, they had likely not walked more than that. It meant they should be able to walk back to the Stargate in a day or so, without problems.

Of course, that was only if they actually found a way out of the valley!

Lantash had - with a sly grin - insisted on picking some of the orange fruits and the glowberries when they found more of them. He wanted to bring them back home to the tunnels and give them to Anise, so she could synthesize the aphrodisiac, since it might be 'useful'. Sam rolled her eyes at him, but did not comment on it further.

When it was near dusk, they set up traps again, and succeeding in catching two more rabbits, so they would have food for that day and the next, especially together with the potato-like tubers and the apples, they had found as well.

After eating, they had taken a quick bath in the small lake outside, before returning to the cave to sleep.

"I really hope we find a way out of this valley tomorrow," Sam said, lighting the campfire they had built. She turned to Martouf and added, "...not that it isn't wonderful to be on 'vacation' here with you." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

Martouf smiled at her. "Thank you. Lantash and I are enjoying this time with you as well. We do agree that it would probably be best if we could contact your people soon, though, as they will be worried."

Sam nodded, yawning. "Yes, they will." She gave him a kiss. "It will be nice to sleep, it has been a long day, and I'm still somewhat tired from all the, ah, _activity_ yesterday." She blushed a little, though it was barely noticeable in the cave, as it was lighted only by the fire.

"Then we shall make sure that you do not have to do anything strenuous tonight... I _do_ hope you are not sore from those... _activities_ yesterday, though?" Martouf asked, a naughty glint in his eyes.

"Um, ah, no, I'm not..."

"That's good." He pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed her, softly at first. "Because Lantash and I have some ideas for tonight..." he murmured, running his hands down over her back, to her butt, fondling it lovingly through her pants...

* * *

They had made love twice during the night, and the next day they slept longer than they had intended to.

Eventually, only about an hour before noon, they were dressed and ready to continue their journey through the valley, hoping they would find a way out of it that day.

They had only walked for a few hours when they spotted what looked like a cleft in the mountains. As they came closer, they saw that the opening was wide enough that there was a passage they could go through, at least some way in. How far ahead the cleft stretched was impossible to tell, as it was partially overgrown with trees and bushes, and here and there outcroppings of rock would block the view.

It was slow going, but the path was passable. They had walked for maybe 30 minutes, when suddenly they came to an area where the road ahead was blocked, probably by a rock-slide.

"Do you think we can climb over it?" Sam wondered, touching a large, nearby rock experimentally. It did not move.

"Perhaps..." Martouf eyed the stones and rubble warily. "It seems the avalanche happened some time ago, and the stones appears to have settled, with gravel and dirt between. Still, we should move carefully." He crawled up on the nearest stone, then stepped over to a larger one. Neither of them moved. "Seems stable enough."

Sam followed, and they slowly made their way to the top of the large heap of rocks and rubble. Except for one time, when the ground suddenly began sliding under Sam, they made their way over it without any scares or problems.

It was harder getting down on the other side, but almost an hour later, they finally stood on the ground, having passed the blockage safely.

"Phew!" Sam exclaimed. "Let's not do _that_ again!"

"I agree, that was... a bit too exciting," Martouf said. "It actually looks like the rest of the way is open."

"It does," Sam agreed, surprised. "Let's hope there are no nasty surprises.


	10. Going Home

"We're actually out!" Sam exclaimed, looking back at the mountains. "Fantastic!" She hugged Martouf/Lantash.

"We are." He embraced her as well and smiled warmly at her, before giving her a kiss.

Sam returned the kiss, and for some time they forgot about everything else. Then she suddenly remembered the radio which they had kept turned off the most of the time, to preserve power. There had been no reason to keep it activated while they were in the valley, as the mountains had blocked any signals, but now there was a chance - _if_ someone was on the planet looking for them.

"I better check this." She held up the radio, and Martouf nodded. She turned it on. "Hello? This is Major Samantha Carter. Is anyone receiving?" She waited for a few moments, and when she got no answer, she repeated what she had said.

After so long a time had passed that they thought no one would answer, the radio crackled.

"_Carter? Is that _you_? This is Colonel O'Neill,_" he sounded almost disbelieving.

"Affirmative, sir, and it's good to hear you voice."

"_Not half as good as it is to hear yours! We've searched for you for _days_! Are you alright? Is Martouf with you?" _

"Yes, sir. And we're both fine."

"_Great. That's _great_! Where are you?_"

"About 25-30 miles from the Stargate, I think downstream, most of the way."

"_Wow... and you're really okay?"_ O'Neill wondered, surprised they had been washed that far along by the river - and survived.

"We are - and we actually walked some of the way. It's a long story."

"_I bet it is. Okay, understood. I'll inform General Hammond - and the Tok'ra. Your dad is on his way in a teltac, to search for you. He should be here tomorrow - which is probably about when you're back here. The ground is still too soft for any sort of vehicle, so you'll have to walk - carefully, I'm afraid."_

"That's alright. We'll see you tomorrow."

"_Okay - I'll go tell the others the good news. O'Neill, out._"

Sam turned off the radio and smiled at Martouf. "Well, you heard. We're going home!"

* * *

They had walked for a couple hours, mostly in quiet, though now and then talking about this or that.

"Samantha?" Martouf said, grabbing her hand and stopping her. "There is something Lantash and I would like to talk to you about... _now_, before we return to our daily lives."

Sam turned to look at him, nodding. "Yes? What is it?"

"I fear, otherwise, a long time may pass before we each other again, and then only rarely... and neither Lantash nor I wish to go back to the occasional, chance visit."

"I agree, but surely we can arrange something... so we can meet more often?"

"That is our hope as well, Samantha, however..." He looked at her, a shy smile on his face. "We were hoping you would, perhaps, consider becoming our mate?"

"Your _mate_!" Sam looked at him, surprised. "Uh, isn't that a bit... _quick_?"

"Maybe so, but we are certain of our love for you, and you have told us you love us as well." He looked at her, clearly hoping she had truly meant it - and that she did not regret telling him. "If we _do_ have to spend time apart, on different worlds, would it not be... _comforting_ to know we are mates? It might, perhaps, also help convince your people and mine to allow us more time to visit each other, regularly. As well, we would be committed to a shared future, and could plan accordingly - arranging to live part of the time on your world, and part of the time with the Tok'ra, maybe?" he argued.

"You've certainly given it some thought!" Sam exclaimed, then smiled at him. "It is very sweet and kind, and part of me would love to agree to it... but even if we can get permission to split our time between your people and mine - and I'm by no means certain of that - then there's also a lot of other potential problems. Not the least that I'll grow old and die centuries before you - while you're no older than you are today!"

"That is true," Martouf said, sombrely, then bowed his head.

Lantash looked up at her, an intense expression on his face. "Samantha. As Martouf just said, we love you very much, and nothing would make us happier than if you would agree to be our mate." He hesitated. "Samantha, I know you have said you wouldn't blend again, but are you still _completely_ certain of this?"

Sam opened her mouth to tell him she was, then stopped. _Was_ she really sure she could not handle blending? She _had_ been convinced she would never even _consider_ it, but that was a long time ago. She no longer hated Jolinar, actually she was not sure she ever really did - except while she was her host, but then she had not even wanted to listen to what Jolinar had to say. How would that have been if she had known what a Tok'ra was? If she had talked with Jolinar, and they had gotten the time to get to know each other? Would she have _liked_ being blended?

She did not know. Maybe. There were times when she envied Martouf and Lantash their close relationship. Times when she wished she was a Tok'ra. She sighed.

"I wish I could say with certainty that I _would_ blend, but I can't. However, I _can_ tell you that I'm no longer as opposed to the idea as I once was, and that I _may_ consider it someday. I don't think I'm ready for it yet, but... _actually_, it's very possible I one day _will_ want to blend." She smiled at him. "Especially if I become your mate - I don't want to die in, perhaps, 40-50 years, if I could have a few centuries with the two of you."

Lantash looked relieved, and smiled at her. "More likely 350-400 years if you blend fairly soon."

"Wow, well think of all things I'd have time to learn!" Sam pulled him to her, kissing him.

"And all the pleasures we would get to share." Lantash grinned, returning her kiss.

"Most definitely that!" Sam murmured, closing her eyes as Lantash trailed kisses down the side of her neck. Becoming his mate sounded very appealing to her... and more so the longer she thought about it.

* * *

The way back to the Stargate was fairly good the first few miles, but the closer they got to the river, and the lower the altitude, the softer the ground became. They had to pick their way slowly, making large detours around the most muddy areas, and that made the trip take a good deal longer than it otherwise should have.

Fortunately, the weather was good, as the only shelter they could find were some large, old trees, where the branches had grown together and formed a partially enclosed space. Cuddled closely together, and with the blankets wrapped around them, they slept soundly.

The next morning, they continued on towards the Stargate. The ground had dried up more since the day before, and it was easier to walk now, as long as they stayed some distance away from the river.

It was early afternoon, when they reached the road leading to the bridge that had been washed away.

"I wonder if the river is still too full and moving too fast for us to swim across?" Sam wondered.

After thinking for a few moments, Martouf answered, "I'm afraid that is likely. There would have fallen a lot of rain, which has gathered in the river, as it is much lower than the terrain around it. It will probably be some days yet before it is as calm as it was when we arrived."

Before they had time to further consider what to do, Martouf looked up, hearing something.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"A teltac, I believe." He pointed at the rapidly approaching vessel.

"Dad! At least I hope it's him."

"We will know soon."

"You know, it's time we gave you guys some of our radios, for situations like this!" Sam said, just as her radio crackled.

"_Hello? This is Jacob._"

She answered it, "Dad! It's me, Sam. Martouf is here with me."

"_Yes, the SGC informed me as soon as they had gotten contact. I decided to stop by anyway and see if you could use a little help getting back. Well, it's time to land. I'll see you soon."_

The teltac landed a short distance from them, and Sam and Martouf/Lantash hurried to it.

"Hi, dad!" Sam called, when Jacob stepped out from the spaceship.

"Hello, Jacob," Martouf greeted him.

"Sam, Martouf," Jacob nodded at them. "Good to see you're all right." He grinned. " What do you think of Selmak's little trick managing to lock our communications on to your radio? Neat, huh?"

"Very, neat." Sam smiled. "Nice work, Selmak!"

Jacob dipped his head, giving Selmak control.

"Thank you, Samantha. It is good to see you well." She turned to Martouf. "And you, Martouf. We feared you might have perished in the storm."

"We feared that as well, for some time. However, Samantha saved us." Martouf smiled.

He and Sam began to explain all that had happened - with _some_ omissions - as they all entered the teltac.

* * *

"Samantha..." He smiled at her. "May I come in?"

"Yes, of course, Martouf." She stepped aside and smiled back at him, then frowned, seeing he was wearing his Tok'ra uniform again. "Are you leaving soon?"

He got a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stepped inside. "Not necessarily. Jacob has taken the opportunity to visit his son and grandchildren, and I thought I might wait for his return. It all depends on you."

They had returned to the SGC some hours ago, and after a bath and a checkup in the infirmary, they had been debriefed. Martouf/Lantash had then left the room to talk to Jacob/Selmak, about Tok'ra related business, and Sam had gone to her quarters.

Sam looked relieved, and smiled again. "I'd very much like you to stay."

He smiled widely. "Then I shall stay, Samantha."

She closed the door, and they embraced, kissing each other warmly. There might be a great number of obstacles they needed to overcome, but together they would succeed.

THE END.


End file.
